Instapark Mercury 10M Solar Panel Portable Solar Charger with Built-in Dual USB Ports for iPhone, iPad & All Other USB Compatible Devices, 3000mAh Battery Pack

My husband and I are preparing for a major hiking trip, so he bought me the Goal Zero Nomad 3.5 solar panel and Switch 8 recharger (for Christmas). After lots of testing, I found the small panel and battery to be sufficient for keeping my Galaxy S III and Kindle working, but it required several days of decent sun to charge the external battery used to charge my devices. I don't expect to have that much time to lay the panels in the sun, so I wanted larger, more powerful panels. I thought of trying the Goal Zero Nomad 7, but this Instapark kit advertised better power for a lower price. After many weeks of playing with solar panels (Nomad 3.5 & Mercury 10) and batteries (Goal Zero Switch 8 and this 5200 mAh battery) I have a lot to share. Advice #1: Always have/get a battery to use with solar panels. This Instapark panel directly charges quite well (see below), but given the interrupt problems with some devices, inconsistency of sun & clouds, and devices which won't take input below a certain threshold, external batteries are the best way to get and hold the power as you're able to get it. This 5200mAh battery is quite a bit heavier than the Switch 8 (just under 5 oz instead of Goal Zero's 3 oz), but I can get multiple charges from it, so the weight is worth it (lighter than carrying 2 Switch 8 batteries!). My only complaint with this battery is the lack of charging indication. There's a blue light which changes to orange at 80% while charging and at 10% while discharging (I think...the instructions are not crystal clear and I don't stand around and watch the battery charge or discharge). The built-in LED flashlight is a bonus, but I'd prefer better charge/discharge indicators. Advice #2: Decide in advance how much power you need and how much you're willing to spend, carry, and wait to get it. The Nomad 3.5 was super-light (by comparison) and probably enough power for what I needed, but it was expensive for what it delivered, and I can't guarantee to have that many sunny days and patience to lay-out solar panels during my trek. This Mercury 10 panel weighs a hefty 18 oz but I put the panel and a very dead 5200 mAh battery in the window before I left for work, and when I came home the battery was full. That means that even at the wrong angles to the sun throughout the day, and through a (mostly clean) double-pane window, it was still able to fully charge the massive battery in a day. I also direct-charged my Galaxy SIII from 70% to 100% in just over 1 hour (again, through the window at not exactly at the right angle). The 5200 mAh external battery was able to charge my GS3 from 17% to 100% in just over 2 hours. And I should be able to mostly charge my phone again (and fully charge my Kindle) from that same charge. Advice #3: Consider what items you intend to keep charged with a solar panel and/or external battery. Remember that voltage flows "downhill." A 5V battery is never going to charge your 7V camera battery. If your target device can accept power in inconsistent increments then direct-charging might work well for you, but you still have to be aware of any power thresholds the panels might fall under on less-than-perfect days.I debated between 4 and 5 stars because of the panel weight and lack of charge indicators on the 5200 mAh battery, but for what I paid I'm going with 5, as this should keep me powered indefinitely.

I bought this specifically because it's touted as being able to charge an iPad. I've tested it now for over 6 months with iPhone, iPad, and (with adapter) AA camera batteries at several latitudes (Phoenix to Seattle) and over several seasons (summer-winter). It's performance far surpasses that of a MUCH more expensive 10w B*u*t*n model purchased at REI a year or 2 ago that I returned due to worthlessness.As you'd expect, it works better in the summer in AZ and at higher altitude than in the fall & winter in WA & OR. Solar cells need strong sun to work well, period. It easy charges an iPhone about as fast as wall outlet in strong sun (45-80 min.). iPad performance is OK, not stellar, it does work but plan to set aside most of the afternoon (4-5+ hours in strong sun). I've really never achieved a full, 100% iPad charge but it did keep me going for extended Kindle reading at remote campsites. I have had success charging on the car dash as well.Chinese solar cells have come a long way in price & performance in the last year or so. BTW, this model has increased 20% in price in the last few months, and I would still give it 4 stars at the higher price. It's a bit too heavy for extended backpacking (maybe on an overnighter it'd be OK, but I'd think twice before humping this brick on a long trail). The sleeve has a very handy pocket for the battery, cables and adapters, and the loops make it a cinch to hang from a tree, etc.Summary: Well worth the purchase price, I'll give a solar panel 5 stars when it works as well as an outlet.

worked great for four/five weeks then nada

OK solar panel, even though I read several reviews on how well it works, it will cut charging if a cloud passes by (I live in Canada, tested in summer, full sun day). If is a full sun day, it works well. Nice construction, fast shipment. Only complain is they sent a smaller battery package than requested (Advertised was 5400, received a 2500.....). Might be it is just a shipping mistake, I am still waiting on the right one to be sent.

Power pack is a piece of crap that comes with this. The panel isn't too bad though. Pretty sturdy, charges ok.

My wife and I are backpacking a portion of the A.T. soon, so I bought this to charge our cell phones and my GPS watch during our trip. My initial assessment is very positive. It appears well made and sturdy enough to stand up to that environment. On a sunny day I took the panel outside, pointed it at the sun, and hooked up my iPhone 5 that was 55% charged. I turned the phone off while it charged and left it hooked up for 1 hour; when I came back it was fully charged. The included battery pack works well too. I'm not exactly sure, but would estimate it would fully charge 2 completely dead iPhones before needing to be re-charged. As expected, cloud cover really hinders the performance of the solar panel. I tried to charge the battery pack using the solar panel on a mostly cloudy day and even after 5-6 hours it had barely added any charge to the battery pack. So, don't expect miracles; it's a solar panel and needs direct sunlight to do the job. I don't know how well the panel will perform while hanging off my backpack on the trail because exposure to sunlight will be intermittent, but we'll see.